Community creates skating rink at high school

January 25, 2010|By MICHAEL KUHNEmikek@dailyamerican.com

Karlie Modrak, Carson Modrak and Will Latuch watch as Mason Hostetler, Casey Modrak and Gabe Latuch play hockey on the newly constructed community ice rink that sits atop the Rockwood high school tennis courts. ( Submitted photo)

Rockwood residents now have the opportunity to skate on a recently constructed community ice rink.

The rink was constructed through the volunteer efforts of the community and local businesses.

“We decided it would be nice to have something here locally,” volunteer Jill Latuch said.

The school board approved the use of the district’s high school tennis courts as the site for the rink, she said.

“We just had to purchase our own liability insurance,” Latuch said. “The school was very gracious.”

The Rockwood Area Merchants Association was instrumental in getting the project started, Latuch said.

Merchants Association president Julie Cramer said the organization fronted the $6,100 cost for the project and is collecting donations.

“We’ve been looking for different things to improve the community,” she said.

It is free admission for anyone interested in skating.

“We wanted to provide the community a place that the entire family could enjoy at no cost to them,” Cramer said in a letter. “The children can get away from the computers and electronic games for a while to get some exercise and enjoy the outdoors.”

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Latuch said the rink has been used by both adults and children since its completion.

“It’s really gone well,” she said.

Volunteer Kris Modrak along with other residents worked to construct the 120-by-64-foot wooden frame around the school district’s tennis courts, Modrak said. The project was finished close to New Year’s Eve.

“It’s something for the kids,” Modrak said.

The fire department pumped about 2,400 gallons of water needed to fill the rink into a liner that was placed within the wooden frame.

Rockwood Borough Council members made the motion Tuesday to waive the 2 cents per gallon fee in lieu of an additional donation.

Latuch said more than 100 hours of labor have gone into the project.

“We have seen a lot of community support,” Latuch said. “We’re happy with the parental participation.”

A $2,500 grant from the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies was used to help fund the project and insurance. Other donations included labor, benches and the wood needed to construct the frame.

“We’ve done well as far as staying within the budget,” Modrak said.

Some of the future goals include getting extra ice skates for children who don’t own them and better lighting for the rink, Latuch said.

Cramer said the association is looking for donations for ice skates.

Latuch said the ice rink will need to be taken down and reconstructed each year.

“We hope to do it again year after year,” Latuch said.

Cramer said an ice rink fund will be established to continue the project in the future. The supplies will be reused and stored around the community.